Movement Malcolm X was a radical leader who promoted black freedom from racism.
Socio-Economic Background and Purpose Malcolm X’s motivation for leading a movement in African American rights began with his early exposure to racism. His father was a public supporter of Marcus Garvey’s beliefs, which caused local white supremesists to target the family. The group the Black Legion murdered Malcolm’s father, plunging the family into poverty and Malcolm’s mother into a severe depression. Despite an unstable home life in the foster care system, Malcolm succeeded academically. However, he was discouraged from continuing school because he was told African Americans could not be as successful as white people. This led to a period where Malcolm was involved in various criminal activities with Boston’s African American underworld, landing him in jail for ten years. Malcolm’s time in jail would have an enormous impact on his movement as Malcolm was exposed to the teachings of the Nation of Islam.
Beliefs and Works for the Movement The main teaching of the Nation of Islam was that African Americans needed to fight for an autonomous society free from the racisms of the whites. After being released from prison, Malcolm worked closely with the leader of the movement, Elijah Muhammad, to promote the organization’s doctrines. Malcolm rejected his last name (Little) because his ancestors had been stripped of their African names and given the names of their owners as a sign of possession. Malcolm also began working as a minister for the Nation of Islam, eventually becoming the head of a mosque in Harlem. His energy and articulation in speech greatly increased the membership in the Nation of Islam. Malcolm fought for black rights in a way that was very different from those of the mainstream civil rights movement. He was very critical of Martin Luther King Jr.’s doctrines of nonviolence and integration. Instead, Malcolm believed separatism and faith in Allah would allow African Americans to become free. Malcolm’s beliefs have been perceived as promoting violence and hate against whites, but Malcolm truly believed that the best way to combat racism and violence against blacks was for blacks to defend themselves with hate and violence. In fact, in his own words “if his (the white man’s) language is with a handgun, get a handgun,” and stating “I'm not for anybody who tells black people to be nonviolent while nobody is telling white people to be nonviolent.” Malcolm was also critical of the government. He almost undermined his previous work when he made a statement suggesting Kennedy had deserved to be assassinated because he was filled with hate. Malcolm also made attacks against Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson who was applauded by the mainstream civil rights movement for his devotion to advancing the black population. He claimed that because many blacks in the South were still disenfranchised, racists had been illegally elected and now held office. He criticized blacks for supporting the Democratic Party and thus the election of these racists. He believed that there were only two ways to solve the problem of racism: either the blacks fight back with equal force or the stop of the infringement of blacks’ right to vote.
Later Work Malcolm was increasingly becoming dissatisfied with the Nation of Islam’s teachings and sought a break with the organization. This was just as well because the other leading officials in the Nation of Islam were becoming distrustful of Malcolm’s power and were planning his assassination. Malcolm developed a new ideology following a visit to Islam’s holy city of Mecca. He now viewed Islam as a driving force behind the unity of different groups of people. This inspired him to fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. He changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and created the Organization of Afro-American Unity. However, Malcolm’s work with his newfound beliefs was cut short when he was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam.
References Malcolm’s work was strongly linked with that of the Black Panthers and other black pride movements. Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael , and Muhammad Ali
Source Citations *What Does Mississippi Have to Do With Harlem?." American Experience. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_noi.html>. "Malcolm, X." Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 1054-1059. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.
Malcolm X was a radical leader who promoted black freedom from racism.
Socio-Economic Background and Purpose
Malcolm X’s motivation for leading a movement in African American rights began with his early exposure to racism. His father was a public supporter of Marcus Garvey’s beliefs, which caused local white supremesists to target the family. The group the Black Legion murdered Malcolm’s father, plunging the family into poverty and Malcolm’s mother into a severe depression. Despite an unstable home life in the foster care system, Malcolm succeeded academically. However, he was discouraged from continuing school because he was told African Americans could not be as successful as white people. This led to a period where Malcolm was involved in various criminal activities with Boston’s African American underworld, landing him in jail for ten years. Malcolm’s time in jail would have an enormous impact on his movement as Malcolm was exposed to the teachings of the Nation of Islam.
Beliefs and Works for the Movement
The main teaching of the Nation of Islam was that African Americans needed to fight for an autonomous society free from the racisms of the whites. After being released from prison, Malcolm worked closely with the leader of the movement, Elijah Muhammad, to promote the organization’s doctrines. Malcolm rejected his last name (Little) because his ancestors had been stripped of their African names and given the names of their owners as a sign of possession. Malcolm also began working as a minister for the Nation of Islam, eventually becoming the head of a mosque in Harlem. His energy and articulation in speech greatly increased the membership in the Nation of Islam.
Malcolm fought for black rights in a way that was very different from those of the mainstream civil rights movement. He was very critical of Martin Luther King Jr.’s doctrines of nonviolence and integration. Instead, Malcolm believed separatism and faith in Allah would allow African Americans to become free. Malcolm’s beliefs have been perceived as promoting violence and hate against whites, but Malcolm truly believed that the best way to combat racism and violence against blacks was for blacks to defend themselves with hate and violence. In fact, in his own words “if his (the white man’s) language is with a handgun, get a handgun,” and stating “I'm not for anybody who tells black people to be nonviolent while nobody is telling white people to be nonviolent.” Malcolm was also critical of the government. He almost undermined his previous work when he made a statement suggesting Kennedy had deserved to be assassinated because he was filled with hate. Malcolm also made attacks against Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson who was applauded by the mainstream civil rights movement for his devotion to advancing the black population. He claimed that because many blacks in the South were still disenfranchised, racists had been illegally elected and now held office. He criticized blacks for supporting the Democratic Party and thus the election of these racists. He believed that there were only two ways to solve the problem of racism: either the blacks fight back with equal force or the stop of the infringement of blacks’ right to vote.
Later Work
Malcolm was increasingly becoming dissatisfied with the Nation of Islam’s teachings and sought a break with the organization. This was just as well because the other leading officials in the Nation of Islam were becoming distrustful of Malcolm’s power and were planning his assassination. Malcolm developed a new ideology following a visit to Islam’s holy city of Mecca. He now viewed Islam as a driving force behind the unity of different groups of people. This inspired him to fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. He changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and created the Organization of Afro-American Unity. However, Malcolm’s work with his newfound beliefs was cut short when he was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam.
References
Malcolm’s work was strongly linked with that of the Black Panthers and other black pride movements.
Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael , and Muhammad Ali
Source Citations
*What Does Mississippi Have to Do With Harlem?." American Experience. PBS, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_noi.html>.
"Malcolm, X." Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 1054-1059. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.